Method of making sacrifice rods for water tanks



Nov. 7, 1950 t us-r55 2,529,348

METHOD OF MAKING SACRIFICE RODS FOR WATER TANKS Filed Oct. 27, 1948 IN VEN TOR.

v. \x \x \x BERNARD E. MUSTEE Lu BY QM g Patented Nov. '7, 1950 METHOD OF MAKING SACRIFICE RODS! FOR WATER TANKS I Bernard E. Mu'stee, Cleveland, Ohio, assignor to E. L. Mustee and Sons, Inc., a corporation of Ohio I I Application October 27, 1948, Serial No. 56,828

2 Claims. (Cl. 29148) This invention relates generally to wate storage tanks, and relates particularly'to an electrolysis sacrificing device to prevent loss of galvanization from the tank and prevent corrosion of of the joints leading to the tank.

"Water storage tanks for ordinary domestic use are generally vertical galvanized tanks which stand about 5 to 6 feet high and are usually placed in the basement or utility room of a home. The space between the top of the storage tank and the ceiling above is at best a distance less than the height of the storage tank, and is quite often only a foot or so.

Galvanized water storage tanks are subject to a chemical phenomena of electrolysis which robs the surface of the galvanizing thereon and deposits the galvanizing on the pipes and pipe joints leading from the tank. This phenomena is produced because of the difference in electropotential of the'metal pipe with respect to the galvanized coating. The problem of preventing the loss of galvanization was solved by the pro-' vision of an electrolysis sacrificing metal having an electropotential with respect to the pipes and joints which would cause the sacrificing metal to be consumed rather than the galvanized coating. Therefore, such a sacrificing metal is placed in the tank and replaced from time to time to save the coating.

However, a considerable quantity of sacrifice metal must be placed in the tank or the tank will have to be opened frequently to replace the metal. Further, the metal must be suspended within the tank out of contact with the inner surface of the tank. a

Long rods of magnesium alloy have been pro vided to insert into such water storage tanks. These rods are quite long and therefore cannot be inserted directly into the tank'because there is never sufficient head room to get the rod centered above one of the openings in the top of the tank. An attempt has been madeto provide a flexible sacrificing unit by casting individual sacrificing bars with an iron wire rod extending longitudinally through the bar. The wires of these individual units are then welded together to make a composite rod about 5 feet long.

Composite rods of this type have the serious defect of being inclined to oxidize rapidly in the welded area and thereby weaken the rod prematurely. The oxidation is rapid either in storage or in actual use, and requires special attention in an effort to prevent oxidation. Also, the

welded portion of the connecting wire is extremely brittle and unbendable. Therefore, the

composite rod is difficult to fold for storage or bend for insertion into the tank, because the connecting Wire tends to bend near one or the other of the connected units rather than bending uni formly throughout its length. The uneven cross sectional dimension of the welded wire also contributes to the lack of proper bending characteristics between the two sacrificing units. Further, the welded iron wire rod is very brittle when welded together and therefore will very often break when the device is flexed to insert it into the tank, with a consequent loss of some of the units and the annoyance of the person installing the device in having to obtain another device and thereby prolong his installation time.

Therefore, an object of this invention is to provide an electrolysis sacrificing device which is bendable and may therefore be inserted and removed from the top of a standard water tank without tilting the tank.

, Another object of this invention is to provide a bendable electrolysis sacrificing device having a uniform wire rod united to mechanically support and electrically connect a series of spaced sacrificing elements together and to a water storinvention may be had by referring to the following description'and claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a sectional view through a suitable mold for casting a rod, from which a sacrificing device may be made according to the preferred embodiment of this invention;

' Figure 2 is a schematic perspective view of a die assembly used to punch out connecting links 4'0 in the cast rod;

Figure 3 is a sectional view througha pipe plug showing a-method of connecting anele'ctrical conducting wire 'to the pipe plug for sup portingiand grounding the sacrificing device in the improved manner of this invention; and

Figure 4 is a sectional view through a water storage tankshowing the preferred position of the sacrificing device in the tank and the preferred method of supporting and grounding the device.

In the drawing, the reference character ID indicates a sand casting mold which may be used to cast a bar'25 having sacrifice portions [3 connected' by link portions M.

The mold I0 is cored or otherwise shaped'into 3 chambers 26 to mold the sacrifice portions [3, and passageways 27 to mold the link portions M. A wire rod i2 is positioned in the mold to extend longitudinally through the chambers 26 a spaced distance from the side Walls thereof, and through the passageways 2? against a side wall thereof.

In otheriwords, the passageways are formed by cores or projections 28 extending into the mold cavity, and the wire rod l2 contacts the surface of the cores 28. Therefore, when the mold i is filled, the metal will surround the wire rod I2 in the chambers 25 and the wire rod will be cast in the metal. But the metal will not surround the wire rod H2 in the passageways 27, and there-' fore the wire may be easily separated from the metal in the passageway portions. Although it is preferable to use a continuous wire rod 12.

as illustrated and described, it is possible to bridge the link portions [4 between the adjacent sacrifice portions l3 with a short length of wire rod to connect the successive sacrifice portions I3 into a series.

In Figure 2 of the drawing, a diagrammatic illustration is made of the method for removing the link portions I d from the cast bar 25. The link portions H! are provided only for the purpose of permitting the entire series of sacrifice portions E3 to be cast upon the wire rod l2 in one operation, and of course, they make the bar 25 stiff and inflexible. Therefore, according to this invention, the link portions M are removed after the bar 25 is taken from the mold l0. Two die block l5 and a punch I6 are il1ustrated in the Figure 2. The punch 16 is provided with a slot I1 therein to bridge the wire rod l2. Therefore, punch I 6 will contact only the metal of the link portions l4 and will not sever the wire rod l2. A large punch press and die assembly may be used to punch all of the link portions 14 in one stamping operation, or asingle punch and die assembly may be used and the cast bar 25 moved progressively therealong to individually remove the link portions I4. After the link portions l4 have been severed from the rod, the sacrifice portions l3 will remain united in one sacrifice device by the wire rod I2, but they will be spaced a distance apart and therefore permit the entire assembly to bend for insertion into a tank. Casting the wire rod l2 into the metal as described will also provide good electrical connection of the wire rod I2 with the sacrifice portions l 3, as well as unite the portions 13 with links of wire rodwhich have a uniform cross section and are uniformly bendable.

A further advantage which this invention provides'is the improved method and means for inserting the sacrifice device into the tank and supporting it'therein. In the Figure 3 of the drawing, a pipe plug I8 is illustrated in cross section to show the end of the wire rod 12 bent, as at t9, and welded, as indicated by the reference character 20, to the plug l8. A -T-fitting 2| is placed on the water outlet of a storage tank 23, and an outlet pipe 22 is turned into the side 4 opening of the T. Thereafter, the improved elec trolysis sacrifice device is fed downwardly through the T-fitting 2| into the tank 23 and the plug I8 is screwed tightly into the upper opening of the T-fitting, as illustrated in the Figure 4. Thus,

7 the pipe plug 18 may be easily loosened and the sacrifice device pulled, partially from the tank for inspection, and if need be, a new unit can quickly be inserted, and the water supply will be cut off for only a very few minutes while the inspection and replacement is being made.

Although the invention has been described in its preferred form with a certain degree of particular-ity, it is understood that the present disclosure of the preferred form has been made only by way of example and that numerous changes in ;the details of construction and the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.

What is'claimed is: a

'1. The methodof making an electrolysis sacrifice device consisting of. the steps of, providing a substantially uniform continuous length of flexible wire rod, casting a series of sacrifice portions extending completely around the flexible wire rod and a series of link portions extending substantially on only one 'side of the flexible wire rod to facilitate the shearing, removal of the said links, and thereafter shearing the link portions from the flexible Wirerod.

2. The method of making an electrolysis Satorifice devicecomprising the steps of, providing a substantially uniform continuous length of flexible wire rod, casting a continuous body of ma-' terial having a series-of longitudinally spaced sacrifice portions extending completely around the flexible wire rod and a series of link portions interconnecting said sacrifice portions extending substantially only on one side of the flexible wire rod to facilitate shearing the said link portions from the full portions, and thereafter shearing the link portions from the full portions and from thefiexible wire rod.

BERNARD E. MUSTEE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Date' Australia Apr. 10, 193-1- 

